One of the biggest controversies of the coronavirus pandemic is about face masks. Should we use them, or not; do they work, or not? People’s attitudes towards masks have become an intense political question, that in some instances have even led to violence.

My own opinion regarding masks is that certain face masks, properly used, may be of benefit to medical professionals and their patients in controlled environments, such as hospital wards. However, to have the general public adopt universal mask wearing is of no benefit, and can lead to various harms. Up until April of 2020, this was also the position of the medical establishment--the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), etc. Then, starting in April, there was a sudden shift, as the medical establishment changed their tune.

Q: What went wrong:

First, credit to CB who made several stimulating comments to prior essays on COVID-19.

In this essay, you will find a mix of medicine, science (epidemiology), and politics. Where I speculate, this shall be clearly indicated. If material is not determined as speculative by me, then that material is considered by me to be reliable, considering the sources.